Process of distilling coal.



menten Feb. 420, |900.

No. 644,0I2.

.|. HEmNwAY.

PROCESS 0F DISTILLING COAL.

(Application led Dec. 15, l1897. Renewed Sept. 9,'1899.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

@mum/Lto@ TN: omus rncnslco. pnormuna. WASHINGTON D c No. 644,0!2. .Patented Feb. 20, |900.

, J. HEMINGWAY.

PROCESS 0F DISTILLING GBAL.

(Application Bled Dec. 15, 1897. Renewed Bept. 9, 1899.)

3 Sheets-Shut 3.

(Nn Model.)

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NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

JOSEPH HEMINGWAY, OF SUN DANCE, IVYOMING, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, OF TVO-TI-IIRDS TO JOHN W. ROGERS, OF SAME PLACE, AND IVILLIAM E. ROTHERMEL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

f PROCESS OF DISTILLIVNG COAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 644,012, dated February' 20, 1900.

Application filed December 15, 1897. Renewed September 9,1899. Serial No. 729,999. (No model.)

T0 LZZ whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH I-IEMINGWAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sundance, in the county of Crook and State of Wyoming, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of and Apparatus for Distillation of Coal; vand I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in processes for the distillation of coal, and has for its object the production of a superior article of coke with the view at the same time of saving and utilizing the by-products.

' In the drawings, Figure l is a side view of my apparatus, showing a part of a battery of coke-ovens, the air-superheating furnace and the boiler being shown in section. Fig. 2 is a top plan View of the same, the chimney being shown in cross-section. Fig. 3 is a crosssection taken on the line 3 3 of Figs. l and 2. Fig. 4 represents a cross-section through the masonry structure, taken near one end of the same, showing the location of the end pipe connections; land Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail sectional view of the valve c'.

A A' represent the coke-ovens, which are usually arranged in. two parallel lines, four or more constituting abattery, which is built, as is shown in Fig. 3, in one solid structure of masonry or brick, the foundations of the ovens being gravel and sand, which are overlaid with a sloping Iioor ct of fire-clay bricks. These ovens are provided with arched tops c', which are of the same material. Each oven is provided with a cover or plate c2, covering the opening a3, through which the coal is fed to the ovens. Connected to these ovens at the top are pipes c", provided with valves 1 la, which lead into the hydraulic mains B B'. One of these mains runs over each line of ovens and is connected to the chimney. These mains are provided with cut-off valves 2 2, controlling the communication with the chimney. The top of the structure which incloses the ovens is provided with rails on which the cars are run which carry a supply of coal for the ovens. Running through the structure and through the coke-ovens are four lines of hot-air pipes C C' C2 C3. Two of these lines of hot-air pipes C' and C3 are provided with enlargements c, which I term drums or accumulators, one of these being located in every oven between the discharge-doors thereof, every oven being provided with two of such doors. Each of these accumulators is provided at its top with a centrally-perforated slidin g valve c', operated by a handle c2, passing through the walls of the oven. Above this valve is a deiector c3, and above this deflector is a hood c4, the object of the valve, deiiector, and hood being to thoroughly distribute the hot air through the oven. The perforation in each valve c' is adapted to registerwith a perforation in one of the accumulators c, as shown in Fig. 5.

Located in any desired place, which in Fig. 2 is on the side of the chimney opposite to the battery of coke-ovens, are regenerative gasfurnaces D D', (shown in section in Fig. 1,) in which the products of distillation from the hydraulic mains are burned through the ordinary checkerwork of re-brick. These ovens are two in number, so that one may be heated up while the other is in use for furnishing hot air to be supplied to the cokeovens or for any other purpose. Under each of these furnaces, located under the brick checker-Work, are two fines, which are lettered o and p on Fig. l. A discharge-pipe G, provided with valve 4, connects the flues p with the base of the chimney. To the other flue is connected a supply-pipe E, provided with a valve 11. The furnace D has a large chamber d above the furnace proper, which is used for the purpose of heating air. Passages connect the furnace proper with the air-chamber, and each of these passages may be closed by a damper cl2, operated by handles 5, 6, and 7, Fig. 2, extending through the wall of the furnace. Ordinary doors (not shown) are provided, one being located directly under each of the pipes E E' G G. The construction on the other side, including the furnace D', the discharge-pipe G', the pipe E', and the valves et and l1, is exactly the same as already described.

Mounted on the top of one of the furnaces is a fan-blower Il, Fig. 2, operated by any desired source of power. This fan-blower is connected with cach of the air-chambers of the furnaces by pipes 7L h, which are provided with cutoff valves 9 9. This fan -blower communicates by means of the branch pipe I, which is provided with valves 3 3, Fig. 2, with both of the lines of pipes C C C2 C3 in the ovens, so that the air may be sent through either row of ovens or both of them at Will.

Located in any convenient position, as by the side of the regenerative furnaces,as shown in Fig. 2, is a battery of boilers K, the furnaces beneath which, by means of the pipes F F and branches L L', which are provided with cutoff valves S S, are connected with the hydraulic mains B B'. Ordinary doors (not shown) are provided, one being located under each of the pipes L Ll.

A iiue M carries the products of the oombustion from the furnace beneath the boilers to the chimney. These boilers furnish steam which, by means of a suitable engine, (not shown,) runs the fan-blower and furnish steam for extinguishing the coke. The products of distillation from many varieties of coal are abundant enough to run the boilers and heat the regenerative furnaces. From these boilers run lines of steam-pipes N, provided with valves l0 101, one of which runs along each row of ovens and is connected therewith by branch pipes n, two of which are connected to each oven for the purpose of quenching the hot coke when the coking operation is completed.

The pipe C in one row of ovens is connected to the pipe C3 in the other row, and the pipe C' is similarly connected to the pipe C2, as shown in Fig. 4. All four of these pipes may be connected together outside of the ovens, if desired.

The operation is as follows: The row of ovens A'is charged with coal to be distilled, which is then ignited in the usual way, the products of combustion, dsc., passing into the hydraulic main B and thence into the chimney, the valve 2,which con nects the main with the chimney, being open and the valves 1l and 8 being closed. (See Fig. 2.) As soon as the distillation is fairly under way connection with the chimney is cut off by turning the valve 2. The valves 1l and 8 are then opened, and the volatile products pass from the hydraulic main B through the pipes F and E into the flue o under the regenerative furnace D and through the pipes F and L into the furnace under the boiler K, where they are ignited. The valves d2 being closed, the gases from the pipe E pass through the flue o up through the brick checker-work on one side and down on the other side into the flue p, whence they pass through the pipe G into the chimney, suiiicient air to support cornbustion being admitted through the door (not shown) just below the pipe' E. The brick checker-work thus becomes highly heated, as well as the air in the chamber d. The gases from the pipe L pass into the furnace beneath the boiler Ka, where they are ignited, sufficient air to support combustion being supplied through the furnace-door. The products of combustion pass through the tubes of the boiler, thence into the iiue M, and thence into the chimney. While these preliminary heating operations are going on, as soon as there is sufficient steam the blower H is started, the valve 9, Fig. 2, being closed and the Valve 0 being opened. Air is thus drawn in through the furnace-doors of the (cold) furnace DC become heated. 'lhe valve 3, Fig. 2, is opened to its full capacity, the valves of the accumulators in the ovens A (through which a limited supply of air has been admitted during the firing up before the blower His started) are closed, the valves 1n in the ovens A are opened, the Valves in the accumulators on the pipe C3 are also opened, and the valve 2"L is opened, the valves 3a, 112, and 8n being of course closed. The (cold) airis drawn through the (cold) furnace D' and pipe 7i" and is forced through the pipe I, the valve 3 being open, into the pipes C and C, in which it is heated as it passes along. A limited amount of air escapes through the valves in the accu mulators on the pipe C into the ovens A, the valve 12 being closed. These valves 12 12 are subsidiary to the valves c', that control the passage of the air out of the drums. The greater part of the heated air, however, passes through the pipe C, pipe C4, valve l2 into the pipe C3, and thence through the valves in the accumulators into the ovens A', thence through the pipes a4 into the hydraulic main B, and thence into the chimney. Thus the ovens A are heated preliminarily to charging. There is a decided advantage in heating the airsupplied to the ovens A in small quantities as the rapidity of the coking operation is increased. When the coal in the ovens A is properly coked, the blower H is temporarily stopped, the ovens A' charged with coal, and the coke in the ovens A is quenched by steamjets and withdrawn from the ovens. As the ovens A' are hot distillation of the coal begins at once. The volatile products pass into the hydraulic main B and through the pipes F', E, and L are supplied to the regenerative furnace D and to the furnaces beneath one or both of the boilers. The valve 2iL between the gas-main and the chimney being closed, the valves 1l and 8, which supply the furnaces contained in D' and 7o', respectively, and also the valve et in the pipe G being all open, the valve 2 is then opened, the valve 3 closed, the valve 3 opened, the valve 9 opened, the valve 9 closed, the valves 4, 11, and 8 closed, the valves or dampers d2 opened, and the doors beneath the pipes G and E opened. The fan-blower II is then started and air is drawn through said doors into the iiues o and By this time the pipes C C have IOO IIO

The operation of heating up the ovens Ais precisely the same as has been already described in connection with the ovens A, eX- cept that in the heating of the ovens A the blower forces hot air into the pipes which run through the ovens instead of cold air. After the battery is fairly in operation-that is to say, after the coking operation is finished in one-half of the ovens-the operation is precisely the same for each half. The cycle of operations is then repeated indefinitely, the process after it is fairly started being continuous, one row of ovens being charged just before the other rovv is discharged.

In the drawings there is shown but one battery of ovens and one set of boilers and regenerative furnaces. It is obvious that several batteries might be grouped around the same chimney.

I do not limit myself ,to the exact apparatus shown, as many changes might be made Without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I-Iaving thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

Ihe method of heating a part of a battery of coke-ovens, which consists in utilizing the Waste heat of one-half of said ovens, and also the heat obtained from the combustion of the Volatile products of said half of said ovens, to heat and force air into the other half of said ovens, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

JOSE PH HEIWIINGVAY.

Witnesses:

HENRY FRAWLEY, JAMEs FRAWLEY. 

